Isle Royale Flashcards
Good place for research?
Remoteness – isolation Simplified ecosystem Little immigration/emigration Small and easy to observe Relatively little human influence High concentration of wolf and moose per area
Isle Royale
Largest island in Lake superior
Wolves and moose of Isle Royale have been continuously studied since 1958. This is the longest ongoing predator prey study in the world
Intraspecific competition
Competition within a species. Example: territorialism. Used to better species by having healthier individuals reproduce
Interspecific competition
Occurs between different species. Where in animals, more common implants. Example: Oaks and maples in same area. Competition is rare:
– Not good for either species
– organisms usually adapt to avoid competition
1900 – 1940: arrival of the moose
– Early 1900s moose arrive
– Population explodes. Peak about 5000 around 1925
-moose run out of food and population crashes
-171 moose in 1941
1940–1945: enter the wolf
– Wolves immigrated from Canada across ice bridge. 3 to 4 animals.
– Moose population does not rise above 2000 for next 50 years
– Wolves introduced had to be killed
1950–1980: fragile balance
– Wolf population explode 50 wolves in three packs
– They experience competition, overpopulation, starvation, And low infant survival
Wolf population crashes to 17 animals by 1960
“Balanced era”
1960-1980: Wolf – moose population used as an example of balance predator prey interaction buy textbooks all over the world
1980–1988: broken balance
Wolf population crashes that become sickly due to the canine parvovirus which was introduced when a domestic dog was illegally brought to the island in 1980 and spread the virus. Side effects include dehydration.
– Signed his capture, examine and radio collar wolves for the first time
1992: wolf population becomes critically low
– Three wolves, scientists decide what to do if extinct:
– – Option one: artificially reintroduce wolves
– – Option two: let wolves become extinct
1994–2000: Wolf rebound, moose decline
– 1994: low predation causes moose population to grow 3500 moose
– 1996:1000 moose after extremely harsh winter and 10 wolves
–One lone wolf immigrates to Island on ice bridge
– 1999: 25 wolves were just annual increase due to weak moose population and new Wolf. Wells healthier than ever and no sign of canine parvovirus
Winter weather/moose/wolf interrelationship:
– Warm, low snow winter equals bad for moose
– Cold, deep snow winter equals bad for moose
– Hot summer causes moose to overheat and do not store body fat for winter and ticks do not fall off moose
– Deep snow reduce his availability of moose food
– Moderate winter equals good for moose
Ticks
-Warm weather causes a healthy infestation of ticks
– – Hope to 20,000 take per moose
– We can Immune system
– Causes mousse hair to fall off
– Takes to not fall off moose during a warm winter
2001–2010:
– 02–07: moose pop continues to decline from Ticks, warm weather, arthritis, Malnutrition
– 2007 – present: inbreeding becomes problem and wolf pop declined due to unsuccessful breeding
– 2010 – present: Wolf has inbreeding problem which was increased by the dominance of the 1996 super wolf
– – 2011: takes at lowest level in nine years and mind shack disaster equals three wolves drowning in old abandoned mine
February 2014 current status of wolves:
– CHP equals three
– WP equals five
-Loners equal one
– Total equals eight
-No pups born in Spring 2012 equals first time since 1971
– Summer 2013:2 or three wolf pups heard howling on island
Summer 2014: no additional pups. genetic evidence reveals that aWolf has come to the island every 13 years
– Moose: 1050
-tick infestation has increased, but there are lots of young healthy moose
